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<title>The Spinning of a Stag's Coin by SecondStarfall (beantiger)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975327">The Spinning of a Stag's Coin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/beantiger/pseuds/SecondStarfall'>SecondStarfall (beantiger)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Second Starfall Stories [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dragons, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Fantasy, Flash Fic, M/M, Magic, Medieval, Microfic, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Originally Posted Elsewhere, Parenthood, Polyamory, Shapeshifting, Trans Character, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:33:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/beantiger/pseuds/SecondStarfall</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The tulip-farmer leaned in and pressed his lips to the dragon’s brow-ridge, heart aching, his own coin tight in his fist. He felt Amaderu’s whip-like tail twist around his ankle, and then let go...</i>
</p><p>***</p><p>A pair of to-be fathers set out to obtain a birthday gift from a dragon's hoard...and, of course, fall in love.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Character(s)/Original Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Second Starfall Stories [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Spinning of a Stag's Coin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a version of the original Twitterfic, same title, posted over at my now-deactivated personal account in February 2020. It has been given minor edits for consistency with other stories and readability on AO3. ❤️ </p><p><b>SUGGESTED RE-READING:</b> Anything with Galien and Amaderu, like...<br/><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22056346">"Dragon, Dragonfly"</a><br/><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22218832">"Empathy at Midnight"</a></p><p>✨ [<a href="https://secondstarfall.com/index.php/Official_Timeline">see the full SecStar timeline</a> | <a href="https://secondstarfall.com/">check out the SecStar wiki</a>] ✨</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>Years after their shared marriage to the Althussian queen, a tulip-farmer and a dragon set off from the royal castle. As the rising dawn hugged their backs, the pair flew deep into the craggy hills toward the dragon’s old hoard.<p>Galien, the tulip-farmer, said: "Your siblings must have picked your place clean by now."</p><p>Replied Amaderu, the dragon: "They have no interest in what I own. I was rather unusual among my peers, I suppose."</p><p>"No wonder you sought out the lovely bosom of our dear wife."</p><p>They landed at the entrance of the cavern where Amaderu used to lurk, and Amaderu pushed himself into a smaller, more human form. Silently they crept into the gloom.</p><p>Galien thought: <i>It's unlike him not to respond to my jabs. He does know they’re jabs, yes?</i></p><p>And Amaderu thought: <i>Every time that insect speaks against me I feel as though someone has lifted up my scales...</i></p><p>Among the dragon's abandoned riches, they hoped to find a gift for their firstborn, who was quickening within the queen at that very moment. With but a snap of the fingers, they could have hired mercenaries for their quest, or sent the royal guard to loot the cave. But—as flowers lean towards the sun—they had, unsurprisingly, found themselves drawn to the idea of journeying together.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>At the deepest part of the cavern, when they could walk no further, Amaderu called out in a strange monotonous voice. Galien, ears popping, suddenly sensed rough-furred, dog-sized presences among them. Something like—<p>Boars?</p><p>"Be not afraid, tulip-farmer," said Amaderu. "These are my swine, or rather, my father’s, as I came to learn later. They live within the hills and the mountains. They <i>are</i> the hills and mountains, if you look at it another way. Here, let us walk back—I will show you what they’ve brought."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>Under the sun Galien saw that Amaderu held two silver coins no larger than buttons. Used as a pendulum, the dragon explained, the coins could soothe any beast.<p>"Forged from the antlers of a white stag, you see," Amaderu said. </p><p>Amaderu held one of the coins out, and as Galien took it, his fingertips grazed the shifted dragon’s.</p><p>"Passed among the Old Mothers in this realm, eternities ago," Amaderu finished. "This one is yours. And the other...a medallion, perhaps, suitable for an infant. Yes?" </p><p>"You care for my opinion?" Galien asked.</p><p>"What is this, an exam? Why would I ask unless it was something I could use to protect the babe, and the queen—and you?" </p><p>He placed the first coin under his tongue and once again took on his true form. The tulip-farmer leaned in and pressed his lips to the dragon’s brow-ridge, heart aching, his own coin tight in his fist. He felt Amaderu’s whip-like tail twist around his ankle, and then let go. </p><p>"I apologize," Galien said. "For many things."</p><p>"Do you?"</p><p>"Well, not entirely. I do hate you. But also..."</p><p>"I have been told hate is but the tail-end of another human word of power."</p><p>"Are you going to make me say it?"</p><p>"No," Amaderu said. "Let us go home."</p><p>The dragon sighed just audibly as Galien tucked a hand under his chin.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Leave a comment or a kudos or whatever the heck if this tickled your fancy. There shall be more! ❤️ Also, please let me know what other characters, relationships, or places you'd like to hear about. I have lots of ideas, but I'd enjoy writing a few stories for y'all as well.</p><p>✨ [<a href="https://secondstarfall.com/index.php/Official_Timeline">see the full SecStar timeline</a> | <a href="https://secondstarfall.com/">check out the SecStar wiki</a>] ✨</p><p><b>AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY:</b> I need to write more M/M stuff, especially with the male end of our royal polycule.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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